What a Relief!

Some weaving progress after a week of distractions.

I had a thought today about a third possible response to broken walls, real or metaphorical; the options of rebuilding or sitting in the rubble and wailing I have mentioned in previous posts. The third option? To preserve and even 'celebrate' them. Good for Roman ruins, less good for emotional or relational brokenness. Another thing to ponder as I weave on.......

Location:The Dungeon

LouLou and the Blues

After so long with the relatively rough Harris singles, what joy to be using Weavers' Bazaar worsted blues. Especially with added lurex!

Location:The Dungeon

Cartoon on, and the Beginning of Colour and Light

The red lines denote where the tapestry goes 3D with wrapped cording and/or rope. The blue are the edges of a shaft of light.




The right hand side of the lower block has rosy sparkle in the weft bundle - the end of the shaft of light from the top of the transept window.

Location:The Dungeon

A Rare Sighting

The old cartoon removed, so no pink stitching. At least until the new one is in place. It is a bit of a wrestling match, so I have just pinned it for now, and will resume the bout tomorrow.

Location:The Dungeon

Dreach, and then some!

Well, my Boy has gone back to Manchester for the new term. I think it is probably wetter and colder here than there, but will wait for his status report. Not many visitors at The Novium, so gave up at 3.30 and went for a damp mooch round the city, then to the Dungeon. Finished the cartoon drawing, and have traced the lower section. Need Magic tape to join another length above to trace the next level. This means waiting till tomorrow when I can use my store discount at WD. Came home for a toasted bagel and some cake. Yes, it is that grey and wet; cake is a necessity not an indulgence. Now to finish the beret I started knitting last evening........


LouLou

Location:Under a Cloud

Inky Fingers

Yesterday's weaving demo went quite well, although the footfall of visitors was much lower than at the Cathedral; I am going back for another session on Saturday. The Boy walked in from home to join me at the end and we went for a pootle round the city before tea in the studio (which I think I am going to call the Dungeon) and home. My cunning plan was to drop him off and then go back and work on the cartoon, but somehow I lost the plot. I did go back in this morning however, and, by dint of making myself get on with it, have nearly completed the design. I have made some major changes; the figure and broken pillars have gone, an unfinished stylized spire has found its way in, and both the transept window (which will be made in wrapped rope and cord) and Hebrew text have been much enlarged. Tomorrow I have to trace the design lines, although I have discovered that my draughtsman's paper is a bit creased, which is a pain. If it proves to be unusable I may have to buy some A1 sheet tracing paper when I am on duty in the shop on Sunday.

I am sure that the imagery will evolve further as I weave it.

Location:St Faith's

I Have Not Been Idle.....

I have been on a short course at West Dean with Sarah Macrae, 'Perspex and Polypropylene Jewellery'. Polypropylene did not do a lot for me, but Perspex! I have never used it before, but will certainly do so again. And I learned so much about other things too; although the workshop often smelt like a 'cheap nail salon' as another student put it, the filing and polishing we were doing was nothing to do with manicures or false nails. The magic of taking a rough surface and making it shiny by use of graded sandpapers and
polish is something I have never experienced. Of course I am completely hooked and now need a collection of needle files and wet / dry papers. The wish list also includes a bandsaw, a belt sander and a flexible drive drill. Although the good thing is that power tools are not really necessary, as everything can be done by hand, it just takes a little longer. My dearest, bestest friend was on the course too, which made it even more special.

Herewith the results of my labours:-




Buttons made with clear acrylic, dyed with disperse pink.



Two sets of hair sticks. The tortoiseshell ones are old knitting needles with copper coloured acrylic discs taken to a high shine, which does not show.



'Beach Glass' bangle



'Beach Glass' and 'Jet' beads awaiting the right joining method which does not interfere with the purity of the shapes.



Ice cube beads (again waiting for the proper way to connect) and a rainmaker totem. The image was shared with me by Vivienne from her sketchbook of American cave drawings.



Two pairs of earrings in my favourite colours.



And a fascination! Tried to light it to show the colours properly, to no avail.

I have more things in a box awaiting completion once I have acquired some tools.

Today I am off to The Novium, Chichester's city museum to do a three hour weaving demo as part of Woolly Week. Update later.

Location:Just Away from the Loom

Nearly at the top of the Rubble

Good day of weaving and working on the cartoon for the next phase. I hope to get the rubble pile finished tomorrow.

Location:St Faith's

Have I Ever Told You......

....how much I have always loved Lego?





My lovely son bought me this for a (belated) Mothers' Day gift. A Lego Art Carousel!! Removable containers! Lego brick shaped erasers! Crayons! Pencils! Markers with Lego heads! A giant Lego head pencil sharpener! And, joy of joys, IT SPINS. I was so excited that I sat down on my scalpel. Thankfully with a cork over the sharp end, so no damage done.

Location:Home

Studio Lesson #1: If you go to weave, it helps to take your bobbin with you

I had taken mine to the WD shop (where I have been doing Holiday Cover, hence the absence from studio and lack of blog) to smooth off a rough bit on the end where someone (hem hem) had dropped it on the cathedral floor. Went off to weave, leaving bobbin in handbag at home. Not sensible. Experimented with various things, and finally improvised with best scissors, as they had the requisite heft and shaped end.





It is getting there.....

Location:St Faith's